3.1 - Believing in God
Q1 b) Do you think God designed the world? Give two reasons for your point of view. (4) Yes I do. I think this because everything has a cause and everything has an effect. Scientists have proven that anything has a cause. E.g. A car driving puts their breaks on and therefore, it slows down. The only logical explanation for the design of the universe is God. God is the Father therefore he must have created the universe. If Catholics believe that God created the universe it gives their lives purpose and it explains how we, as humans, are here. Only God could have had made the laws of science such as gravity which was needed to create the solar system. China was here Yes, I think God did design the world because the world is so complicated that it must have been designed by someone and the only being powerful enough to have designed it is God. When we look at at the world we get a numinous feeling, a feeling of a presence greater than us and the only answer to this is God. c) Explain how religious experience can lead to, or support, belief in God. (8) When people have a religious experience, they feel as if they have had direct contact with God which strengthens their belief in God. Some people may have had a numinous experience. This is where the person is in a religious building, a beautiful place or looking up at the star and it is then when they feel the presence of something greater than them which they feel may be God which strengthens their belief in him. A person may have also had an experience of God here it is so great that they change their lives and commit themselves to God. This is called conversion. Thery change their lives to dedicate it to God because they feel as if he is calling them to do something for him. Some people may have had a miracle where something occurs that seems to break the laws of science and the only logical explanation of this is God because if someone has an event that breaks all laws of science, they will look for an explanation and if they think it is a mircale, the only person that could of caused this is God. This causes the person to believe in God. Prayer is another religious experience that causes a lot of people as if someone close to them or related, they may feel the need to pray. e.g. if their child is dying froma painul disease and they pray to God and they get better, they may believe in God and that he exists. d) “A Catholic upbringing leads children to believe in God” 1.1.Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3) As a Roman Catholic, I agree with this because children would be taught by their parents that God exists and is real and their parents would encourage them by bringing them to mass regularly therefore, children would believe in God because they would think that all of these people and their parents wouldn't be praying to nothing and wasting their time. If they joined a Catholic school, they would believe in God because they would learn about God and the teachers would tell them he is true. 1.1.Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3) Some roman Catholics may disagree with me because they think it is wrong that children aren't having their own choices to make in which religion they want to believe in as they are too young to make a decision. Also some may think that a Catholic upbringing might work against community cohesion by making children believe that any other religions are wrong. Q2 b) Do you think science shows that God did not design the world? Give two reasons for your point of view. (4) Yes, as with the knowledge science has provided us, we have no purpose for God. We used God to fill gaps in our knowledge and now that we have science to explain these things we no longer need God. Science has given us reasons such as the Big Bang Theory and the theory of evolution to explain the creation and development of the world therefore science shows that God did not design the world. c) Explain how Catholics respond to scientific explanations of the world. (8) Catholics believe that there is a place for God and Science because God began the creation of the world, and science explains how it works; therefore science and God are able to co-exist. Catholics believe that scientific explanations are true. They believe that God was the beginning for things happening, such as the big bang because it had to happen at the exact microsecond. Also, Catholics believe that God made the scientific laws which the universe is based on therefore God and scientific explanations can both exist. Finally, Catholics believe that both science and God can exist because the main parts of Genesis can fit with science; God said "Let there be light" which links to the big bang as light suddenly appeared. d) “The argument from causation proves that God exists.” i. Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3) As a Roman Catholic, I agree because the world had to have a first cause to exist, and God is the only answer to this first cause. Also, we cannot accept infinte regression therefore God is the only possible answer. ii. Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3) Others may disagree with me because the first cause might not be 'God', as we have no proof, however it may be something of a similar nature. Also, we haven't yet experienced an incaused causer therefore we cannot be certain that it is possible. Q3 b) Do you think unanswered prayers prove the God does not exist? Give two reasons for your point of view. (4) I think that unanswered prayers does prove that God does not exist because people pray and ask God to help them or someone they know through an illness and then they may end up dying. Therefore, this makes it evident that their prayers were unanswered which could lead them to question or reject God’s existence. Also I think that unanswered prayers does prove that God does not exist because Christians believe that God is omnipotent; all powerful, and we believe that he would use that power to help the unfortunate that we pray for. However if nothing happens and the people suffers then it may cause people to believe that no one is listening. As a result, this will lead people to reject God’s existence. c) Explain how Catholics respond to unanswered prayers. (8) Most Catholics believe that God answers all prayers and that what seems to be unanswered prayers can be explained. For example, if you pray for selfish things, like God allowing you to pass an exam without doing any work, God will let you fail so that you will work harder next time. Your prayer may not be answered in the way you expect because God has different plans, for example God might want an ill person to enter heaven. God may answer our prayers by giving us what we need, not what we asked for. Catholics have faith that God will answer all prayers in the best way for the person praying, or the people prayed for, even if it is different from what they expected. d) “A loving God would not let us suffer.” i. Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3) ii. Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3) Q4 b) Do you think prayer is a waste of time? Give two reasons for your point of view. (4) No prayer is not a waste of time as Christians will often turn to prayer because they can’t do anything practical about evil and suffering. For example if someone is ill we can’t always stop it so we will just have to pray to God to guide them through it. Many people also do this to contact God if they don’t know any other way to contact him or just need someone to be there for them. c) Choose one programme about religion and explain how it might affect someone’s belief about God. (8) d) “Evil and suffering in the world prove that God does not exist.” i. Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3) As a roman catholic I believe that evil and suffering does not justify the fact that God does not exist and I believe he does exist. God gave us free will has humans just because some people misuse free will causing evil and suffering this is not Gods fault. Evil and suffering preparation for paradise there will always be evil and suffering on earth and we must aim to help in any way we can. One day we will be free from all suffering in heaven. We cannot understand God’s ways God must have a reason to allow evil and suffering because “if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” So we need to suffer to achieve salvation . God allowed his own son to die on the cross. Jesus accepted his suffering and commanded us to help anyone who is in need or suffering. We should try and help those suffering to prove ourselves worthy of achieving salvation in the parable of the sheep and goats it says `Whatsoever you do the least of my brothers, that you do unto me’ so every time we help people suffering we do it for God. ii. Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3) People may disagree with me and say that if God is Omni-benevolent (the belief that God is all good) and Omnipotent (the belief that God is all powerful) why would he let evil and suffering to take place in the world. If God loves us why would he want us to suffer as our father he should wish to see none of his children suffer. People who suffer have done nothing wrong why should they be the ones to suffer? If God existed why would he create evil and suffering let alone let exist.